The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Katie McGarry

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Katie McGarry

Summary: Robert enjoyed Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry and he was delighted when the author popped in to see us.

Date: 20 May 2013

Interviewer: Robert James

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Robert enjoyed Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry and he was delighted when the author popped in to see us.

• Bookbag: When you close your eyes and imagine your readers, who do you see?

Katie McGarry: I see a lot of different people. I see teenagers, both male and females. I see people in their young twenties and those who are my age. What I also see is a friend of my grandmother’s, who is in her nineties, who wrote me a note to tell me how much she loved Pushing the Limits.

• BB: You've created four very different narrators in your two books so far - who was your favourite to write for?

KMcG: That’s like asking which of my children I love more. J

I loved writing Echo’s innocence and sarcasm.

I loved writing Noah’s intense love for his brothers and Echo.

I loved writing Beth’s heart break and tough façade.

I loved writing the poet that is Ryan.

• BB: I'm really looking forward to reading Crossing The Line, your upcoming novella (released since I asked this question!) featuring Echo's best friend Lila. Can we expect more short stories or novellas from you in the future?

KMcG: I wouldn’t rule it out! Writing Lila’s story has given me a taste for short fiction and now I’m a little addicted.

• BB: Isaiah was one of my favorite characters in Pushing The Limits and Dare You To, so I'm really looking forward to reading his story in Crash Into You! You mentioned to me a while ago that you had plans to write more stories in the Pushing The Limits universe - will Isaiah's be the last? If not (I hope not!), could you give us a clue as to who you'd be focusing on next?

KMcG: I’m glad you love Isaiah as much as I do! For now I’m focused on his book. But I fall a little in love with every secondary character who shows up on the pages of my novels, so it’s entirely likely that one of them will demand their own story at some point down the line.

• BB: In Dare You To, Ryan and his friends are somewhat obsessed with dares - what's the craziest dare you've ever done?

KMcG: I’m afraid I’m no fun with this answer. It’s not that I haven’t been dared to do anything, but I’m a little like Beth in that I wouldn’t be sucked into a game I didn’t want to play. Of course, Beth does become sucked into Ryan’s dares, but only because it serves her purpose.

• BB: Ryan and his brother are both excellent athletes in different sports. Do you have any sporting talents yourself?

KMcG: I played tennis in high school and advanced to the state tournament my Junior and Senior years. I even played in USTA Kentucky junior tournaments. While I enjoyed it, I have to admit that I haven’t picked up a racket since the end of my Senior year.

• BB: If you could ask any author any question, what would you ask and who would you ask it to?

KMcG: I’d ask S.E. Hinton what happened to Pony Boy (The Outsiders) as he got older.

• BB: What are you reading at the moment?

KMcG: I’m rereading Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

• BB: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what's the soundtrack for Dare You To?

KMcG: I listen to a playlist while I do everything else other than write. I typically write in silence. I’ll be adding DARE YOU TO’s playlist to my website as it gets closer to the release date. P!nk’s F**kin’ Perfect and Rod Stewart’s Broken Arrow are two of my favorite songs from the playlist.

• BB: What's next for Katie McGarry?

KMcG: I’m currently working on revisions for Isaiah’s story, CRASH INTO YOU. I can’t wait to share his story with the world!

• BB: Thanks so much for talking to me, Katie!

This interview was kindly given to us by the ever-generous Ya Yeah Yeah

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